Jill Musnicki

Artist statement:Since I can remember, I have always been intrigued with various mediums as an artist. I was one of only 2 people to take advantage of my colleges’ offering of a “fine arts major”. We were the last graduates of the program. It enabled me to explore and be influenced by all mediums while focusing a little more on painting. I am also heavily influenced by experience and simple observation. Much of my experiences have been recorded in drawings and paintings and of course always photography. Photography has always been a major influence in my paintings. I photograph things to help me see them better. Until recently I used it more as a tool than as an art form.

My mind is constantly working to keep me interested in making art. Sometimes that means manipulating my medium, or style. In the end the changes make sense and seem logical. I tend to stick with the natural world as subject matter because I find it endlessly fascinating. The last change I made felt a bit abrupt but really it’s a perfect progression. I accidentally discovered hunting cameras for a reason unrelated to my artwork. I needed some low tech surveillance help and found it with these motion activated cameras. Immediately, I decided I must use this medium in my artwork. I started a learning process that was quite thrilling.

The next chapter in my art making career is quite a learning process. Now I am bringing elements of film into the process, animating my 1000’s of photographs to tell a story. The story is of what happens when we aren’t looking. Where I live there is a very diverse cross section of the human population. Very poor-very rich. People tend to see wealth and nothing else, not even nature. In one short film, “The Drain Ditch” I have recorded a parade of wildlife from foxes to maggots about 500 yards from the most expensive property around. Do they know? Do they care? What matters is I do and I am very pleased with the end result in my film clips. The learning process is taking me into the world of creative editing of these digital images.

With this new work I have exhibited at the Parrish Art Museum ironically hosting a Road Show in 2012. In 2014, I worked with the Nature Conservancy and The Andy Warhol Foundation to produce a year long body of work shot in the Warhol Preserve in Montauk called Eothen shown at Brooklyn Photo Studio in 2015. I worked with Solomon Contemporary on a one person show of The Fox Den and again in 2016 in a show called Lake life in Washington Depot, CT. A new show at Standard Space gallery in Sharon CT has been postponed till September.

What you will see for Drive-By-Art is a photograph that I took with my hunting camera in the rare vacant village wooded lot behind it. It’s a place I visit often and I wanted that snapshot of what’s happening when we aren’t looking. What is happening outside of the hustle and bustle and crazy traffic just 150’ away.